THYME
by QuintessentialMuse
Summary: At a time peace reigned over the 3 kingdoms but chaos is infamous for being able to find a way even through the slightest bit of darkness. The eldest son of the Great Dog Demon of the West & the young daughter of the Heavenly Queen of the North will cross paths.. Their lives being 'coincidentally' thrown down the same path... the only question is- will they live to see the end?
1. I : Enter the Three Kingdoms

**PROLOGUE**

This story is not original... Though it may seem to be he likes of such because of the twists in each incorporated fairytale. I was first given inspiration for this by Florence + the Machine when their song "Breath of Life" came out. It is placed at the end of the new movie Snow White and the Huntsman... And because of that, it is most likely the reason as to why I chose to do a fairytale mix. You will see the original Snow White's plot, Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel. Twelve Dancing Princesses and Little Red Riding Hood in this fanfiction. There is also a bit of the Three Musketeers, some Lord of the Rings, and (for those Studio Ghibli fans out there) a touch of Princess Mononoke, as well as Nausicaä in this. The story does not require for you to have read, seen, or watched any of the mentioned stories. Although it is probably a wise idea to know a little bit about each so that you don't go away thinking I'm a complete lunatic. The love interest here is between Rumiko Takahashi's InuYasha characters, Rin and Lord Sesshomaru (but it doesn't have much fluff, so if you want fluff… go find moe somewhere else… this is crazy insane shit that barely has any moe moments in it. ß yeah I was disappointed too…) If you haven't seen Inuyasha that's just fine- just look up the characters a bit so they're more than just names to you. And lastly, I want you to enjoy this. I was in an airplane when I found muse and picked up the only hint I had on hand- my new iPod. I have never typed so furiously nor have I ever had so much trouble with a touch screen in my life... Touch screens hate me. Having spent roughly a month writing out the basic plot, erasing it and then rewriting, editing and then revising it, I want you to appreciate it... By my main goal is to have you enjoy yourself as your eyes suck all this up. So settle yourself into the back of your seat and get comfortable- I'm hoping that you'll be glued to the screen throughout the whole story- if you do not find yourself interested, message me, email me, or give me a reply with your thoughts and critique on what you didn't like. Don't come complaining to me about the main couple though, or any of the shipping's or attitude changes that have taken place... Just go with it and see if you can deal with it long enough to finish the story- enough blabbering. I'm excited to hear comments... Fellow writers and manga lovers alike... I present to you my still-in progress, barely a month old piece (whose plot is still in the midst of being changed, edited, made and re-made).. "Thyme."

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

**ENTER THE THREE KINGDOMS**

In a time long ago… in lands long covered by the sands of time, there were multiple kingdoms run by many monarchs. Kingdoms with Kings and Queens and princes and princesses. These were times when great prosperity and wealth were spread throughout lands. Of course, there is no such thing as perfect, so it is safe to assume that there was poverty during this era as well. It was not just the King and or Queen who ran their lands. What land would make it without their serfs and underlings to help run it? With no farmers, there would be no crop to sustain the wealthy… and with no wealthy there would be no money to pay the food giving ones… kingdoms relied on everyone within them. One thing could not live without the other. There must be poverty for there to be wealth. Know that you are fully aware of that, I am prepared to tell you the tale which has been passed through generations of families throughout time. It is of two young children, who became all but unknown in their journeys… and when their fates became intertwined with each others, they became more than just two stars glittering in the night sky… They became the moon.

In a land of prosperity lay many great countries… and amongst all these kingdoms, we will be focusing in on three distinct ones. The kingdom belonging to the Great Dog Demon of the West, the Immortal Witch of the Southeast, and the Heavenly Queen of the North. Three different points of the compass rose, all colliding with one another. More literally than one would first think. Shall we begin? In the kingdom of the North, which was ruled by a widower… a Queen who had taken the title of Heavenly One in her past, gave birth to a child of charcoal hair and four years later adopted a wandering boy years later who was skilled with numerous weapons of choice. Her blood child was named Rin, and her adopted youngster kept his original name… Kohaku. The Queen's name was Kikyou.

Rin's birth was celebrated throughout the kingdom… that was eleven years before more important events took place… but one must know the two's childhood history before they can begin to understand why things are the way they are now. Rin was in the midst of her eleventh year of life, constantly wearing ragged and old clothes, running around causing havoc whenever she could get away from her mother… and taking on the look of a boy, even more so than her protective sibling, Kohaku. Ever since the two were little ones, they would run around wherever they wished… though it was Kohaku who was the one being dragged around by his younger sister because of her interminable hunger for adventure and freedom. The Queen was more than happy to allow this, for she believed that to be successful in their future, the two young ones must know how to take care of themselves, as well as understand just what the world was like outside the sheltered walls of their home, filled with many treasures that were considered as priceless vanities.

The boy and girl spent many hours together… and it would seem that they were never truly apart. They went everywhere together- for eleven years their bond only strengthened- it never tore itself apart like siblings are stereotyped for. They only fought about trivial matters and never kept a grudge against one another… does it need to be said again? Kohaku and Rin were basically made to be siblings. However, the day that Rin went too far was on a day that Kohaku was bed-ridden with a sickness that would nearly kill him over the next year. With his fever reaching more than 104 degrees and the shakes rippling through his torso, Kikyou was careful to keep Rin away from the room, attempting to keep her precious child out of the fray of misfortune.

The Great Dog Demon of the West was a King who had recently gone through a divorce with his first wife- and the mother of his first born son, Sesshomaru. He had remarried when Sesshomaru was but a child of three years… and Izayoi, the new Queen, bore him a son by the name of InuYasha. Both the brothers had their father's hair and eyes… long white locks and golden optics that mimicked the color of the horizon when the sun was just beginning to disappear over the edge of the world. It is needless to say that Sesshomaru did not like the fact that his new half-brother was even there at all… over the years, these feelings would dissipate into fading bad memories, but for a while… there was nothing Sesshomaru would like more than to just rid himself of the childish half-brother… as well as the Queen who had replaced his mother.

The Immortal Witch of the Southeast plays no huge part here… but she is (in short) Sesshomaru's mother and confidant. Without her wisdom, Sesshomaru would have failed his quest… We shall begin back in that room where sickness is prominent and tears are in order. This is where our story takes flight.


	2. II : Series of Events

**CHAPTER TWO**

**SERIES OF EVENTS**

Rin knew something was wrong. Her mother and her brother had been locked in the same room for more than a fortnight now. But no matter what she did… whether it be attempting to scale the stones leading up to his window, or pounding on the door 'till her fists bled onto the stone-covered floor… Rin could not get into that room. Often times, she would hear her mother, the Heavenly Queen of the North, singing a chilling lullaby to Kohaku, who she was told was in a trance. It was odd being without him- for Rin had never been separated from her adopted sibling for more than two hours at a time… they shared breakfasts, lunches, and dinners together, they slept in the same room and chased one another around when there was nothing better to do- or if they had finished all of their classes… Rin even slept in the crook of the door that Kohaku was hidden behind… and she soon stopped trying to get in… rather keeping quiet and hoping that she would see her brother soon.

It was here that she overheard what many children are not meant to hear. It was a cold night, especially for a summer's eve, and Rin had an extra blanket upon her silhouette, shivering in the damp doorway. Rumors from the servants were enough to keep her curiosity fulfilled one step at a time… but it was their priest, Miroku, who gave Rin the idea of a sacrifice… and informed her (unknowingly) of the sorceress in the woods who was famed for her ability to heal everything and anything.

"He will not last much longer, I'm afraid, my beautiful Queen.." the ragged voice of the middle-aged monk adorning handsome purple garments came from inside the room, and Rin stirred, her sleepy chocolate eyes opening at the sound of a voice within. Surely there must be a secret way into the room that she did not know… for all these people managed to get past her despite the fact that she was at the main entrance for the room… other than the window, she knew no way to get in. Holding her pale hand to the doorframe, the young princess strained to hear his next words that would soon slip from his wettened lips that he had just swept his tongue across nervously.

"What should I do, Miroku? Is there nothing that can save him?" Her mother's voice was mono-tone… and Rin knew that she had already given up hope for Kohaku. Was his trance so deathly to the point that he was going to escape the world itself without his own knowing? Huffs of breathing had continued to pass through the wooden doorframe since the day he was bedded down with the sickness that would soon flood all over the area, hitting most other people in the area, and few would survive its grasp… the black death. The plague. Miroku's next words were hushed… and very hesitant to answer the Queen, for even he knew that what he was about to suggest was both a long shot and very dangerous…. Unless one was in the most dire of situations, they would not even consider _her_ as an option.

"In the forest, there lives a sorceress… it is said that she can do anything. Fix ailments… heal the wounded, give sight to the blind and bring the dead back to life." A long silence fell between the two adults… and Rin jumped to her feet, letting the blankets covering her pearly white sleeping garments flow to the ground. Suddenly, the door opened and Rin sped off, her bare feet tapping fleshily against the stone and wood of the castle. "WAIT! RIN!" The priest cried from behind her… but it was well known that the man would not go after her unless commanded to. And Kikyou was in a state of shock… to the point of which she could barely understand why Miroku was calling out her daughter's name.

Rin sprinted down the hallway, taking a back passageway through the kitchen area to get to her destination faster. On her way there, the girl found a small basket with patchwork cloth in it designed to keep pastries warm while on their way back from the town. Remembering fleetingly what Miroku said about the price she would have to pay and, with the innocence and naïve behavior of a desperate child, the eleven year old princess stuffed the pasket with goodies left out on the counter- from crescants to lemon filled pastries… and then she was off. It wasn't long before she stopped again and found herself squeezing her palms to her arms, which were covered with goosebumps. Deciding to take a left because of a slight draft, Rin passed by a cloak fastened upon a hook nailed into the wallpapered stone making up the wall, and she grabbed it with numb little hands, knowing that if she had thought herself to be cold before waiting for Miroku's opinion on things, she would never make it through the night without a cloak to keep in her warmth. So convienently placed were the things she needed (the pastries and the crimson hooded cloak) that the raven-haired girl did not think a thing of it. Now that I've pointed out… you're interested, correct? But alas, that is for an entirely different story… one that has little to do with the one I am telling now.

Miroku could not just do nothing about the girl he'd forgotten could hear anything she wanted to through wooden doors. Looking from Kikyou to Kohaku and back to the door, he flew to his feet and grabbed his staff, it's six circular ringlets ringing out in the tense atmosphere. Jiggling the key into the door and running out, the priest sprinted down the hall, ran out into the night and mounted the horse he'd ridden there on… but no matter where he looked, he could not find the young raven-haired girl. Turning his head, the man rode to the town and, after wasting precious time, found himself rushing back… but in the dead of night… he was too smart to go into that forest… the stories that had come out of there were enough to frighten even a holy man such as himself…

Rin jogged out of the castle through the maids route (which was connected to the kitchen might I mention)- this was only used by the cook and his or her crew to go to the town when they needed to retrieve utensils and ingredients to cook up a feast for the royal family… Rin marveled for a while on how she could see her breath on the cold summer night… and then hurried on in the direction of what one may refer to as the enchanted forest.

* * *

"I did not wish for the trip to last this long…" the handsome prince commented with no audible tone- his assistant, a squirly little man with a bald head and large round, yellowish green eyes, attempted in vain to bring his steed up next to his young master's own flank. The horse beneath the prince's torso was a magnificent steed… one that had been given to him on his tenth birthday by his mother who was the Queen of a faraway land. The stallion was gargantuan, standing 16 hands tall… which is about five feet four inches at the withers. His mane and tail were a pearly white color- creamified by three years of rolling around in dirt and mud and other such messes, but it was obvious to the naked eye that such a prized animal could only belong to likes of a royal heir…. Jaken, the odd little man that served as the prince's servant, sat upon a paint pony, and his eyes were nearly all the way shut when he tried to look up at his master.

"Lord Sesshomaru… you're father is at a very important … you know very well just what good he intends for you-" the short man was cut off by the young prince's poison words.. "Yes, Jaken- it would have been absolutely fine… if we did not have to bring the unholy offspring of a horse's back end with us…" Sesshomaru kept his golden eyes straight forward, his facial features unchanging, but Jaken found it hard not to laugh- so he disguised his inability to keep quiet with a cough and looked over his shoulder at the youngest offspring of the Great Dog Demon, Sesshomaru's half brother, InuYasha. The boy was only seven, and following his thirteen year old half brother seemed to be pleasing for him at first… but after a time, the ungrateful freak started shifting every two minutes in the saddle, waving his hand at the bugs that were obviously not going to abandon the home they'd lived in for many generations because his highness' sons were on a hunting excursion.

Jaken coughed again and waved his hand madly for the guards to close in tighter for the road became even skinnier than it already was. Jaken fell in behind Sesshomaru's beast, A-Un, and they entered the forest of enchantment. It was a long while before they caught a glimpse of the herd belonging to the stars. The deer here were not a dirty brown color like the many that roam our earth now are like. One might think that the herd was a break off the reindeer kind- but this is untrue, for these mammals merely lack a certain gene that causes them to be albino… for some reason, it passes down to each generation… and only the females escape the fate that the stags are bound to. The females are white in the winter and brown in summer. The stag is ivory all year long. Suddenly, Sesshomaru's hands tightened on A-Un's reins, and the rightful heir of the kingdom of the East clicked his heels against the stallions side, sending the touchy bronco into a dead run. Jaken followed behind as quickly as he could (a mere trot) on his bouncy little pony, and InuYasha soon passed him, screaming in delight at the break from boredom. The moon was rising into the night sky by now, and the stag was at its most vulnerable state- practically glowing with a white light because of its pelt. "Lord Sesshomaru! Please wait!" Jaken cried out to the awaiting forest, digging his heels into his pony's side and urging it to go past it's top speed. All he got was a good fart out of the animal, and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Why am I always chasing after him?! LORD SESSHOMARU YOU DOG!" But his high pitched voice fell upon none but the guards' ears and one stayed back with him while the rest flew after the two half-siblings on more suited equines.

InuYasha unhooked the bow from his saddle's side and reached back into the quiver on his back, hooking one of his arrows onto his long fingers and he set it, put it into place and let it loose. In front of him, A-Un swerved with Sesshomaru riding fluidly on his back. The older brother turned back and glared at the younger son, his long hair whipping behind him crazily in the gales created by the speed of their mounts. InuYasha raised an eyebrow at his brother's face and managed to pull the skin beneath his eye down with a finger and stick out his tongue at the same time. Sesshomaru narrowed his gazers and turned ahead, leaning into A-Un's mane and urging him to go faster. Soon, he came to a clearing, and he unhooked his own bow from the stallion's saddle, embroidered with gold and lined with velvet. On the blanket, there was the royal crest of Sesshomaru's family… the one before it had been changed to fit Izayoi's own heritage, the mother of InuYasha. Drawing an arrow, Sesshomaru hooked it into place and put another one between his teeth, raising up, he let the first arrow loose, and managed to pierce the stag in the hind leg, a small smile flickered onto his facial features, then disappeared as the animal still sped on. Damn thing had a pelt made of iron.

Back a ways from where they had been let off, the guard and Jaken were making idle chit chat… "And that is how I got the scar on my ass- she just couldn't keep away!" The bald man's laughter echoed in the distance, and the guard just kept riding alongside the pony. What your guess about his expression is just as good as Jaken's, for a helmet covered his face entirely. Just then, the stag jumped down into their path and Jaken watched with an awed expression as its large brown eyes stayed straight forward, as if they were but mere trees in the forest. A-Un followed the creature, with Sesshomaru riding quite eloquently on his back… as if his thundering hooves and large bodice did not faze him at all. Another arrow let loose from InuYasha whizzed by Sesshomaru's head, and the thirteen year old prince reached up and caught it. Jaken swallowed. InuYasha came next on Izayoi's gelding, Buyo. The horse was a dun, a golden color with a black stripe running down his back and black stockings on each leg. He was biting his lip furiously as he passed by. A few moments later, they were all gone, totally oblivious to the fact that the stag was taking them in a big circle. Jaken closed his eyes, smoothed back his non-existent hair and clicked the pony's sides, as if nothing had happened. The guard stuttered behind him. "You think Sesshomaru will be alright?" Jaken cackled loudly… far too loudly. "MY DEAR FRIEND! If there is anyone you should be worried about… it is young InuYasha!"

A mile or two away, InuYasha was running out of arrows and Buyo's stamina was failing him. He did not have the drive that A-Un did… be it having been a gelding, the age difference, or the stress of it all, Buyo just stopped, throwing InuYasha to the ground. Sesshomaru smirked as Buyo's hoof beats quit sounding behind him, (as well as VERY loud curses from InuYasha- but I'll keep quiet about those… such things are not meant for immature eyes) and he continued on A-Un to catch the stag… however… the pallid mammal eluded him, and the young prince was left in the forest, with no light but the stars and the occasional flicker of fire-flies to keep him company. A-Un's ears twitched in every direction after his master slowed him to a slow walk. "Well… at least we got rid of the nuisance… It would seem though… that we have lost our party in the process." Sesshomaru sighed and dismounted the stallion, walking him out after replacing the bow on the hook connected to the saddle side. Sounds that should not be in a forest echoed through the woods, and it would seem that every time Sesshomaru turned around to take view upon the path they had just traversed from, it looked far different than it did before… perhaps the forest really was enchanted.


	3. III : Big Bad Wolf

**CHAPTER THREE**

**BIG BAD WOLF**

The short yet stout little man trotted up on his old paint pony to the place where InuYasha had been thrown to the terra. The seven year old half-brother of Lord Sesshomaru was nothing short of undignified, and he looked back at the guard and Jaken as they approached, dirt all over his façade. Sweat dribbled down the back of the bald man's head and he stopped his pony right in front of the youngest son. "Why hello there young prince! Pushing a horse like that will certainly get you thrown- no doubted." InuYasha's golden eyes narrowed with fury and he got up (despite all the bruises and cuts he harbored) and punched the small man in the head, knocking him clean out of the saddle.

"DON'T TELL ME THESE THINGS WHEN I ALREADY LIVED THEM!" he growled, infuriated with the fact that Sesshomaru could stay on a horse better than he ever would. The guard stayed back and (from horseback) held onto Buyo's reins even though it was obvious the old fellow wasn't going anywhere. One of his back hooves was cocked up on its toe. A clear sign that he was resting.

"Well! Aren't you just…" A quick look at the white haired boy and the short man took back his reins from the guard and re-adjusted his lips so that he spoke no words Jaken scrambled back up into his saddle, and tapped his heels against the fat pony, trotting a little ways off before talking again. A large red bump was obvious on his bald cranial. Alas... he could not hold it in."HOW DARE YOU-BRAT!" It was well known that InuYasha had begun to take pride in his height, for he had just recently passed that of Jaken's… and the guard that had held Buyo sighed loudly and raised his hoarse voice into the mix, sure that they weren't going to get anywhere if Sesshomaru's loyal servant and the tenacious royal boy were in a fight.

"In any case, where is your brother, Lord Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha sniffed and crossed his arms, turned his nose up in the air and spat out sharp words in reply to what the guard had inquired upon him, causing Buyo to jump a little in surprise at the tone of his young master's voice.

"HALF-brother. Where the hell do you think he is?" A loud _THUMP_ followed his curt words and the trio turned around to face the direction in which Sesshomaru had gone. It wasn't a footfall- nor was it the sound of horse hooves… it was more like moving wood across a hollow platform. With cricks and cracks mixed into it. "You guys heard that… right?" It wasn't necessarily a question. They all must have heard it for the horses ears were flicked away from the sound, and even old Buyo was tugging against the hand that stayed his reins. Jaken, on the other hand, did not wish to give into the princeling … he felt it batter to shame the boy than to give him exactly what he wanted to hear.

"N-no… I think it was just your imagination- after all, young InuYasha, you had an imaginary girlfriend with striking pink hair when you were five! Who knows what kind of things you think nowadays in that-" InuYasha opened his mouth, blushing somewhat- about to say something in reply to the man… but suddenly, the light from the stars above them was obscured and all of them looked up, curious as to why this would occur. Nothing could be seen but the swaying trees… but there was no wind. Another loud _THUMP_ followed that of the first and Jaken tightened his sweaty grip on the pony's leather reins. It is needless to say that odd little InuYasha, who adorned his father's head of silver hair, caught a glimpse of this and his chest swelled with pride.

"YOU DID HEAR IT!" Inuyasha had brushed himself off, inwardly pleased that he had worn one of Sesshomaru's creamy loose tops to go hunting with- for it now had mud all over it- and he was now strutting towards Buyo's saddle, having totally forgotten about his quiver (now empty because all the arrows had been wasted in vain on trying to injure his half-sibling) and his bow, now laying upon the earthen floor, covered by fallen leaves.

"I HEARD NO SUCH THING!" cried the little man, flailing his hands in the atmosphere. A crack sounded this time, followed by a _THUMP_ and InuYasha mounted Buyo, grabbing his reins away from the guard. "B-b-but I b-b-believe it is t-time t-to go…. NOW!" Jaken stuttered, then sped off on his short and fat pony- riding like a chicken with his elbows going up and down, and the guard fell in behind Buyo at a trot… for even the gelding knew that there are times of need when one must push past their age and keep going. It should be said now that they were lucky to have had such a cowardly little man in their presence, for if the trio had gone in the direction of Sesshomaru, they would have surely met their nightmare's deadly inhabitant… a keeper of the cursed trees and wanderer of the 'enchanted' forest.

* * *

Sesshomaru kept walking. It didn't really matter where he was heading (not that he knew), but the forest must end somewhere. It had been an hour now that he'd been separated from his stupid ass half-brother, and the annoying little fat man, Jaken, who followed the elder of the brothers around and waited on him hand and foot. Scowling (per usual), the white haired soldier turned and looked back, sure that he'd heard something come from behind him. A-Un, a bulky soul, flicked his audettes in a 180 degree movement to also try and pick up on what both he and his master had heard. Needless to say, the thirteen year olds heart did not even speed up at all. He just made sure to toss the reins back over his horse's head should he need to make a quick mount. At that moment, a small form rushed from out of the underbrush about two yards ahead of the royal heir, and A-Un stepped back, his nostrils flaring as he snorted in surprise. The figure, cloaked in a rich velvety hood, turned and look in Sesshomaru's direction. In that second of their optics meeting one another's, the lad (or who the prince suspected to be male) stumbled on his bare feet and the contents of the basket he was carrying bounced to the ground. Sesshomaru made no movement to help the boy get his bearings, merely raising an eyebrow in his direction.

Only when the child stood back up to his full height did Sesshomaru call out to him. "You there." The boy froze, his hood covering his eyes. Stalking forward, the teenager came closer to the little one. "I _said_ you there. What are you doing out here alo-?" he didn't have time to finish his sentence. Two wolf followers, young men who lived in the forest despite its oddities, crashed through the same place that the little one had just come from.

"HEY! YOU- GET OFF OF OUR LAND!" one barked, his shameless outfit causing Sesshomaru to draw back a little. A shaggy deer pelt clung to their lower bodies, while a breast plate, no doubted stolen from a passing soldier on patrol… well… at least Sesshomaru knew now why his father's border patrol kept coming back half naked… The younger child looked back in dismay and started to run off again, but the white haired teenager caught his arm in a steel grip and pulled him close to him, a fraud look of relief crossing his usually emotionless features. The hood on the child fell and Sesshomaru was actually mildly surprised to see that the long hair of this one belonged to a girl… no older than eight or nine… perhaps even younger.

"Great- now you've done it… look who you've gotten in trouble with this time- why did you run off like that?" The child bit her lip and dropped her face again, shaking her head as if she didn't know. All an act… and it was enough to fool the brainless wolf followers that was for sure. The two dumbasses looked at the tack on A-Un, made the connection to the white haired princeling, and stepped back a little bit. Sesshomaru raised from the kneeling position he'd taken on so he could fake a worried look at the child. He turned his blank eyes back to the wolf followers after hoisting the child up onto A-Un's saddle along with her basket. She was heavier than she looked… A mere peasant should be lighter than that… shouldn't they?

"You. You're a royal- aren't you?" asked the wolf follower who wasn't the one that had yelled out before. Sesshomaru stuck his left foot in the leathery stirrup and raised himself up, motioning for the girl to be seated behind him. She willingly followed his gestures and sat on A-Un's ebon rump, sliding back into the saddle behind Sesshomaru after he'd put his other foot in the stirrup and gathered up the white-maned horse's reins.

"That is my business." The look of worry had disappeared from his pale features, his golden suns now harsh again and nearly able to spear the wolf followers through their stolen armor with just a gaze.

"Yeah-yeah. By the way you talk- I bet you're one of them asswipes. And whose this- the girl you're ibetrothed/i to?" This was the sneering one… the girl wrapped her arms around Sesshomaru's waist, gripping the soft cloth of his creamy tunic with a drive that could only match that of a timid doe awaiting her fawn to rise from the ground… all the while, predators loomed around.

Sesshomaru did nothing. Made no show of emotion that would give away anything at all. "It would seem that our business lies elsewhere." Tapping his heels lightly to the stallion's sides, Sesshomaru turned his steed around and urged A-Un into a gallop, leaving the two men on foot behind in the darkness of the night.

"RUN, RUN, AS FAST AS YOU CAN!" The two wolf followers laughed manically behind the duo as A-Un held his head close to his chest cavity and galloped through the trees. "THE TREES WILL CATCH YOU!"

* * *

Rin turned her head back from where she was clutching the silver-haired prince's sides, her basket riding up on her arm, rubbing the skin raw with its poorly made handle. Her bare feet were getting to be blue and brown, cold and dirty. Not that she hadn't had her fair share of the latter before. This horse beneath the two… he was magnificent. With her legs pressed up against his warm sides, Rin could feel his power surge through him, his muscles flexed with an intensity that was ineffable. She bit her lip and looked up with cautious chocolate stargazers at the boy who had saved her from the hard punishments of the wolf followers. She'd run into them not minutes before she'd stumbled onto this guy's path. He had sharp cheekbones, definitely visible… his mother and father must be beautiful… his silver hair was down to the crook of his back, and it was hard to not get it caught in her dry lips as the horse continued to go at a canter to who knows where. And… if she leaned in close enough, she could _smell_ him. It was a sickly scent. Sweat mixed with lavender and… what else? Another herb that Rin had touched before… but nothing that she could put her finger on.

Her mind drifted back to the wolf men… and she clutched the nameless one's frame tighter, quiet words, fearful and very childlike- flew from her lips.

"What did they mean… the trees will catch us?" The black haired child had never felt so terrified of the night. Or of anything, for that matter. She was usually the one to go running into danger, knowing that she could get out of it by pronouncing who she was. But this… this was uncharted terrain. The "enchanted" forest was for those who were willing to lay their lives on the line… Rin pressed her cranial into the boy's back and hunched her shoulders over so that she couldn't see anything but darkness.

He didn't answer her. But when the horse started to slow down, coming to a dignified slow walk, the prince (or who she assumed to be based on his stoic reaction to the wolf men) parted his pale lips and spilled out some lyrics for the ess to hear. "The trees move."

"They… they move?!"

"Yes. They move. They walk- just like you and I do." He sounded so serious… was he just toying with her because she was younger and she was most definitely frightened? "Who are you?" It was Rin's turn to be silent. The big black horse with the white mane stepped around a tree that had fallen to the ground. This was not the same path he and his master had taken to where they met the girl. But they had gone straight… so it had to be. "What are you doing here?" Still, no answer. Rin was afraid to answer… for he might just take her home… and if he was from a different kingdom… she would be in grave danger if not already. And she couldn't just blab out that she was looking for the witch… "Are you alone?"

"… yes." A sigh from the teenager was huffed out into the awaiting atmosphere.

"Then I'll accompany and protect you through this forest." The words were so out-mindingly crazy… that Rin nearly lost her balance and fell off of the big stallion's back. "I am Sesshomaru, eldest son of the Great Dog Demon, and heir to the Kingdom of the West." What should she say to that? He was of a neighboring Kingdom- and one of the most powerful- should Rin be remembering her lessons correctly. There were a million different ways to answer that. She could state her own title… whose daughter she was… and who she was… but… wouldn't that be even more troublesome? So- she stuck with the most nonchalant of answers. Simple.

"Hi."


	4. IV : Trail of Crumbs

**CHAPTER FOUR**

**TRAIL OF CRUMBS**

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**NOTE BEFORE YOU READ: **_hey guys! It's been a little while... I'm sorry. Junior year of high school is starting to tug on my priorities just a little bit. This is the fourth chapter of THYME! You can tell where I just picked up on it at the end... I promise the next chapter will sound soooo much better... also hey... I gotta speed up the things that are happening! I'm still at the beginning! D: dear me! Well... 3 I love the red thread in this one... gotta love the symbolism... 3 red thread of faaate. 3 love it! Alright. Stop reading this. Go down and finish the chapter 3 Reviews reviews! :D OH HEY. This one is suuuuper short. Just because I felt bad that I hadn't gotten it up in... a month? o-o sorry. T^T don't hate meee..._

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Sesshomaru was not quite sure why he'd even offered up the words of a guardian. But now that he'd given his word, he would have to stay true to it, wouldn't he? He looked forward, his long white hair fluttering behind him, encasing the girl with his scent. Who in the world was she? She hadn't said anything about herself, and her reasons for being out here in the middle of nowhere were unbeknownst to the prince. He did know that she was tiny though. That was a start. Her pale hands clutched onto the back of his creamy tunic with such force.. he thought that maybe her fingers would start bleeding if she didn't let up a bit. A-Un was doing just fine carrying both of their weights. No worries for the big stallion.. but they all needed to rest pretty soon. Sesshomaru could last around three or four days without sleep, but something told him the little girl wasn't as bulletproof as he was. Plus, A-Un needed to rest. So when they reached a little break in the trees (not big enough to call a clearing but it was… enough), he dismounted and then swiftly swept up the girl, placing her on the ground before tying A-Un's reins around a tree. The girl stumbled a little as her legs got set back on solid ground, but the heir to the Kingdom of the West paid her no special attention. He didn't even look back when she nearly tripped over a tree's root. His long slender fingers were unbuckling the saddle on A-Un.

Behind him, Rin was re-adjusting herself. She used both of her hands to pat out the creases in her red-velvet cape, and then she moved the fabric in the basket to make sure that she still had all of the goodies she had made off with earlier in its woven confinements. Of course, they weren't hot anymore, like they had been when she first shoved them into the checkerboard folds, but that was to be expected. The night wind rustled through the trees and Rin tried to resist the urge to stay at least five inches close to the prince from the West. He was four years older than she, only nine, was. Plus, he was a strong male. For the moment, he was her only source of protection and guidance. Speaking of protection… he had given her his word that he was going to keep her safe while they both were in the 'enchanted' forest. Why was that? Soft clinks of metal snatched the girls attention away from her meandering thought process and she watched with wide chocolate eyes as Sesshomaru raised the saddle off of A-Un, placing it on the ground and taking the blanket off as well. The horse's ebon cloak steamed with body heat, and one could actually see the heat rising into the frigid night sky. How strange… The enchanted forest seemed to ignore the laws of summer. But then again, why wouldn't it? Everything about the forest was completely irrational… Rin was sure that the creatures born in its territory were of night and darkness… evil and sinful beings. The girl closed back up her basket of goodies and pushed her tiny frozen hands through her raven hair, drawing her bangs back out of her eyes and attempting to reposition them to the point that they looked at least halfway decent. Her eyes were ever straying though… for all around the duo, along with A-Un, there was a kind of tension… almost thick enough to be visible to the naked human eye. It was as if the woods were waiting for something terrible to come forth and present itself.

The girl was lost in thought… and Sesshomaru could've easily left her without her even knowing that he had moved more than a few yards away. But alas, leaving one so small in the who-knows-how-many acres of land this forest covered… it was not an option. Especially after he had given his word to her that he would not leave her side until her trip was finished. The 13 year old made a 'Tch.' Sound from his mouth and took off A-Un's blanket, ignoring the insignia that marked the horse as property of the West. Not to mention the fact that it was the coat of arms for the royal family. Or it was- it used to be… until… No. He didn't want to think about that right now… it was too much of a stressful reminder. Turning around, Sesshomaru unfolded A-Un's blanket and reached his arms around the girl, draping it over her shoulders. His golden eyes were still as cold and heartless as ever, but the surprised look on the nameless gal's face was enough to bring a tiny smirk to his features. He turned around again and began to move the saddle bags up so that he would have a comfortable place to sleep. The girl was still standing there looking like she couldn't believe she was in the middle of reality. The white-haired prince settled himself down, and for a few minutes, just closed his eyes and breathed steadily. Then, he opened his eyes again and spat out some harsh words.

"Do you sleep standing up?" It was not meant to be sound mean… but knowing Sesshomaru, it is quite easy to understand that it just came out that way. No big deal about it. Unfortunately, the girl was not used to this behavior, and she flinched away from his tone of voice.

"N…not normally…"

"Well then, lay down. Try to get some sleep before the sun decides to show its face again." He watched as the girl lowered herself next to a nearby tree and held the basket, with whatever the hell was in it, snuggly next to her bodice, with her knees pulled up so as to fit in the blankets small square. It was not long after that Sesshomaru finally closed his eyes for the second time and started to drift off to sleep. Thirty minutes passed by… an hour… and under A-Un's blanket, Rin's eyes were still wide with fear. She'd never spent a night outside of what you and I would call a castle- though she simply referred to it as "home." After another minute or two of the steady whistling of trees, the creaking of the woods, and everything that goes bump in the night, Rin quietly got up and moved her blanket closer to Sesshomaru. She lay down parallel to him, only about three or four feet away from his sleeping body. Apparently the feeling of being close to a strong being was enough for Rin to get her bearings together and actually grab a handful of hours to sleep before she awoke to find that she was all alone… and her red cloak was gone.

The girl sat up quickly, a head rush following her naïve movements, awarding her with a blinding vision for a short while. Once it had passed, the child looked around, whipping her head this way and that. Where had he gone?! Had he left her? But why in the world would he have taken her cloak… Rin pressed her arms to her sides and drew A-Un's blanket around her. Then, she noticed that something thin was around her wrist. Scuffling around to see what it was, she raised her right wrist and peered down at a thin strand of red thread. The raven-headed girl followed the string with her eyes and watched as it disappeared into the forest. What…the… what was that?! Turning around, she saw that A-Un was still there, so Sesshomaru couldn't have run off… he would never leave that majestic beast here with a girl whom he couldn't even trust. So where was he? Her chocolate eyes went back to the red thread and she suddenly knew why the cloak was gone. So that's what it was… Getting to her feet, but having to push her weight up on her hands before standing upright, she turned her head in the opposite direction. A-Un was still there even… He wouldn't have left him. With the blanket dragging across the forest floor, she tiptoed over to the massive horse, holding her hand out to the equine before sitting down next to one of his large legs. Why had he left her? A moment of panic struck the girl and she sat up quickly, causing A-Un to stand alert. The pastries! Getting to her feet, causing the blanket to drop by A-Un's legs, and scrambling around, Rin found that they were safely tucked away in a tree hollow, close enough to the ground that no one would see it, but far enough away so that the insects would not munch on it while the humans weren't looking. A large thump grabbed Rin's attention, and she twisted around, her heart rate increasing. Were the trees moving again? Instead of a magical tree, she found herself facing a dead rabbit, and a very quiet… almost scary-looking… prince. Around his wrist was the other side of the red thread.

* * *

Sesshomaru honestly didn't care that he hadn't been able to catch the stag in any way. Not physically, or even visibly. And it still pissed him off that it had been young InuYasha who had caused that to happen in the first place. Knowing that she would be hungry in the morning, the eldest heir decided to go and hunt. A very simple matter, though he himself was not even longing for the taste of food on his tongue. Not sure that he was going to find it, he took a frayed edge of the girl's cloak and had tied it around her wrist, while he took the rest of the velvety coat with him. Leaving A-Un, he'd gathered up his bow and arrow, and took off on foot. How he had managed to catch the rabbit was beyond his comprehension, for he hadn't even needed an arrow to strike it down. A mere swoop of the arm, and he caught it by the legs. Simple as that.

"I thought you might be hungry." he announced, golden optics watching as the chocolate eyed girl stared at the bunny as if he were some sort of ghost. She slowly traced her eyes up to him and Sesshomaru's lip twitched. His long fingers curled as he reached behind him, pulling out a knife. "Here." He tossed the knife over to her and waited. Waited… she just stared at him, eyes wide. Finally, she let loose some lyrics.

"…yo…you don't expect me to skin it do you?" her lips trembled as she stuttered out the words. Sesshomaru stayed completely still, that unwavering gaze of his as cold as ice, then he turned around, keeping the thread connected on his wrist, and walked towards A-Un without giving her anything close to an answer.

"Why were you in the forest?" Rin fumbled with the knife, and she grabbed a hold of the rabbit, holding its little body upside down.

"…" Sesshomaru shook out the blanket the girl had abandoned by his horse's legs, and he put it over the beast, raising the saddle as well. The child had begun to actually cut into the rabbit, her face a little pale as she watched the blood drip from it's sides, where she had just made the incision.

"You're not looking for someone… are you?" The silver-haired prince turned his head a little so that he could keep one eye on her while he cinched up the girth on A-Un's ebony frame. His eyebrow raised a tiny bit when he saw her flinch. Letting down the stirrups, and pulling up the blanket one final time, he turned around and grabbed the girl's wrist. "A little pale, aren't we?" He saw her freeze. Something flickered behind those chocolate eyes, and he furrowed his brows, letting her go, but grabbing the knife and the hare from her grasp.

"s-sorry…"

"Whoever you are, and whatever you're here for, you'd best take A-Un. He can guide you out of here no matter where you want to go." She looked up at him though he did not make eye contact- rather, he kept working on the pelt of the hare.

"but… he's.."

"-a gift. I'll come back for him someday, so don't treat him badly."

"…why?"

"Because. I have other business to attend. I will stay with you tonight, but after that, I will be gone in the morning- you understand?" He put the knife between his teeth and ripped the rest of the pelt right off of the mammal's body. He stood up, put the meat in the girl's lap, and tried starting the fire he'd managed to create earlier the same morning. Small embers still remained, so reviving it didn't take too long. When he looked over, he inhaled sharply. She had fainted…


	5. V : Let Down Your Hair

**CHAPTER FIVE**

**LET DOWN YOUR HAIR**

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**NOTE BEFORE YOU READ:**_Get ready! Multi-tasking reading has officially been incorporated into this story! Try not to get lost, okay? I don't know if I can rescue from the forest… may have to send in Sesshy. ;) Also, hey, this is the part of my story that starts to get a little fuzzy… just because I blabbed down a bunch of notes and never really put them together… e-e sorry. A bunch of characters start to show themselves! So excited to see your reactions :) Enjoy!_

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Rin awoke abruptly. Her white night dress had been soiled and stained- grease from the rabbit from yesterday that the prince had given her once he had managed to fan her out of her unconsciousness. They had eaten in complete silence. Not a word was exchanged between them. He did not ask where she was from… but he had asked for her name again, right before she fell asleep. She had not given it to him. Rather, her lips trembled, and he waved his hand in dismissal of his inquiry. He was gone now. The red thread that had been still tied to both of their wrists was gone, though Rin had a tiny circlet on her wrist still. She checked on the pastries, which she had placed next to the dying flames as the night had come to its prime. Just to keep them warm. Swiftly, she packed them into the checkerboard basket and stood up, looking at A-Un, who, like Sesshomaru had promised, was saddled and ready to go. The eleven year old walked over towards him and held out her hand again. How was she going to get up onto his back? Looking around, and grabbing his reins in a fist, and leading his large mass over towards the tree that Sesshomaru had put her pastries in the day before. Stopping, and then stepping into the hollow, she squirmed into his saddle, barely making it with all her bearings. She fumbled with her basket for a little while, and then tapped her heels gently to A-Un's sides. The giant stallion set off immediately, as if he knew that she couldn't kick any harder. She needed to find that witch… _"In the forest, there lives a sorceress… it is said that she can do anything. Fix ailments… heal the wounded, give sight to the blind and bring the dead back to life." _A-Un, carrying his new rider, her hair whipping behind her, tore through the forest, drawing deeper and deeper into the center… As the sun reached its pinnacle in the sky, they came to a clearing, and, inhaling with anticipation, Rin pulled on A-Un's reins, causing him to stop. Looking up at the giant building, a tower that seemed to touch the clouds high up in the sky, Rin narrowed her eyes, trying hard not to stare directly into the sun. She pushed A-Un forward and they neared the door of the sorceress's tower. Crows circled above… and Rin swallowed, looking under her arm at the wicker basket to make sure that none of the pastries had decided to take a tumble to the ground.

* * *

A group of horses clattered up the road towards the Northern Kingdom's entrance, passing the peasant's houses as they did so. Mothers pulled their children away from the road and the four riders, people dressed in velvety cloaks, hoods pulled above their heads, paid no attention to them. Their horses pranced gallantly in place through the narrow streets and on their blankets was the insignia of the Kingdom of the West. They pulled up to the clearing just before the castle and a castle guard came outside on a bay horse with four white stockings.

"State your business, as well as your names, outsiders." His voice was strong and mighty. The riders waited for their leader to remove her hood before removing their own.

"We have come to negotiate peace agreements with the Northern Kingdom on behalf of our King, the ruler of the West Kingdom." The rider in front answered, the voice very feminine. The castle guard looked behind him, and then motioned for the group of riders from the West to move forwards. In the center of the four riders was an old mare.. and atop her, was a silver haired boy adorned in a red cloak (while all the others were in black). The girl in the lead was young, though still older than InuYasha, the young prince behind her. Around 19. Her black hair was pulled up in a tall ponytail, and her horse, a light buckskin, stood quietly, waiting for a command to move. To the leaders right was a strange man… though his hair resembled that of a woman's. Wavy, and very well-kept. A sneer was permanently upon his facial features… and there was a sense of… evil around him. The other three riders are irrelevant to our story, so I will not waste a second of your life describing them. "I am Sango, and this is the right hand man of the Great Dog Demon, Naraku. We have our young prince, InuYasha, son of the Great Dog Demon and Queen Izayoi with us as well. The other two are mere guards. You need not worry about them. "

"Very well. Come this way." The group followed him in, and then the doors to the castle itself shut behind the riders, locking everyone inside. A different guard, on foot, walked behind a wall, and flew up the stairs that ran alongside the outer part of the castle, aiming to meet up with another guard that would be able to inform Miroku, the high priest, that a group of riders from the Kingdom of the West was here to converse with Queen Kikyou.

* * *

Sesshomaru walked out into clean, open air. Having made it out of the woods just a few moments ago, he reveled in the freedom he had just been granted, and continued walking. He was in sight of a village that did not look too far away, and he made his way towards it, knowing that he could get a horse there and directions back to his father's kingdom. With a cool expression on his face, the silver haired prince moved towards it, decreasing the distance between himself and the place where he would find his way back home. Perhaps he'd have a few mugs as well… after all, without his father or step mother to keep him in check… he could do anything he wanted. A scowl fell upon his features. That sounded like something InuYasha would do. Waving away a fly that was drunk on his scent, he continued, knowing that he could trade in his knife and a few arrows for quite a pouch of gold pieces. A few ale's wouldn't be bad enough to thoroughly intoxicate him- and Sesshomaru, despite his young age, already knew that he could hold his own. Sneaking off with friends wasn't exactly in his comfort zone… but it sure paid off for good memories.

* * *

Rin nearly died when she tried to hop off of A-Un. Her foot almost got stuck in the stirrup and because of this, she did a sort of weird twist movement as she hopped on down. The black stallion with the white mane dismissed it entirely. Brushing her gown out, and sweeping her long black hair behind her shoulders, she walked bravely up to the door, and raised her hand to knock on it… but it opened just as her knuckles were about to make contact.

"Come on in, sweetie… don't be shy." A beautiful voice was not what the girl had been expecting to hear (nor had she known the door was going to open on its own), but life is pretty strange anyway, so Rin, being young and curious, peered in, a strand of her black hair falling over her shoulder. "Oh my! What a pretty young one… what are you here for? It's very dangerous… in these woods I mean." Rin gulped and walked on in after looking back to make sure A-Un was still there outside.

"Uhm… Sorry for the intrusion!" she bowed low, and a beautiful woman came sweeping into view. She wore a wonderful kimono, and her short black hair was tied up into a ponytail, adorned with a fan accessory that accented the silver on her eyes.

"No-no, not at all. I was expecting you, dear." She lifted Rin's chin and then strode (more like floated) into the main area, a kitchen like place. "You've come to ask me to save your brother…"

"Y-yes ma'am."

"Hmm… Alright. I can do it." Rin's face lit up right away. She hadn't expected it to be this easy… but then again, the thought was wiped clean from her head (and she was left wondering what she had just been thinking about). It was as if someone had just reached in and totally wiped off the thought. "But! You must do something for me in return."

"Anything! Anything!" Rin was overjoyed with the fact that this woman could save her brother.

"I will cut off all your hair. Up to above the shoulders."

"Of course! Anything." The sorceress smiled.

"That's it, darling little princess… your hair will help your brother overcome this plague of his. But it will not grow back until you come of age and are married. Your husband must see your personality, not your beauty."

"Anything for my brother." Again… Rin was in some sort of trance… perhaps it was the overwhelming stench of herbs… mint and eucalyptus mixed together to create a poultice. Something about the place seemed wrong, and behind her, though she did not notice, A-Un was becoming twitchy, his massive frame swaying back and forth, his hooves leaving the ground every so often to show that he was uneasy. The sorceress came over, sweeping across the ground like a ghost, and pulled a shard of glass from her pocket, put her arms around Rin's neck, and easily cut the hair evenly, so that it was just narrowly above her chin line. She walked away, and put the long hair into a bowl with a green mix, and then, she plucked a few flowers from the windowsill. Rin swore that they had not been there moments before. It was a mint-smelling plant with white pink and red flowers.

"A touch of thyme… and viola!" The sorceress produced a bulky liquid and poured it into a glass bottle, put a lid on it and walked back over to Rin. "There you are, dear one… I'm sure those pastries will be absolutely delightful." She motioned over to the table where Rin's basket sat upon the wooden object, the checkerboard cloth opened and the pastries steaming. Rin's eyes widened for a moment, but she did not say anything. She did not remember giving her the goodies…She took the glass bottle from the witch and ducked her head in thanks again. "Let me help you up onto that massive beast! Surely he is not your own?"

"He's a…gift."

"Ah… lovely. Upsy-daisy!" The woman grabbed Rin's waist and put her atop the odd colored horse, and the witch stood back, holding the horses reins so that she could make sure that the young girl was safely in the stirrups. "Be careful. The troubles that came to you on the way in are far more severe on the way out. You never know which path will be the one leading outside the looking glass." A strange smile came upon the beautiful ladies face, and then she ran her hands down to the emblem on the horses blanket. She tore it off hastily, without any sound, and then she slapped A-Un's rear, sending him tearing through the forest.

* * *

Kagura looked down at the emblem in her hands. A smile stretched across her kissers, and she walked back inside, where a white haired girl was holding a mirror.

"Did you get her image, Kanna?"

"Yes… she was quite easy, as she stood there." Answered the quiet voice of the pale child holding the mirror.

"Good. Naraku will be pleased… give me the mirror, Kanna… show me Rin now." Kanna obeyed and brought the mirror over to the table, where Kagura now sat, sticking her finger into one of the pastries and dragging it up, sticking it in her mouth.

"Naraku's wish is finished… we should not mess with anything that is not our own business."

"Hush, Kanna. Show me Rin. Father can do his own work… this is mine." Shrugging, the albino girl twisted the mirror, which brought up the picture of Rin riding A-Un through the enchanted forest, in the direction of the Heavenly Queen's Kingdom of the North. "You little...Stealing the heart of _my_ prince…" Her voice became different, and the air around the duo trembled. "Bringers of Misfortune… Demons of Old… When this child comes of age and her heart is ready to be wedded, she shall be trapped in a silent image of herself, unable to utter a word, secluded away from the world- untouchable by all- as children should be SEEN and not heard. This is to happen and can only be broken if one of the lovers sacrifices them self."

The atmosphere shook once more, and then the homely sounds of wind against the shutters, birds in the distance singing to their mates, and crickets chirping around in the garden, could be heard once more. Kanna shook the mirror again, letting the curse sink upon the young princess, and then she set the mirror down. Kagura licked her finger, having finished off the first pastry. She smiled, jelly on the right side of her mouth.

"How delectable."


	6. VI : Water of Life

**CHAPTER SIX **

**WATER OF LIFE**

The mug slammed down against the wooden table, and the silver haired boy raised his arm, waving down a waitress with russet hair, held up in pigtails with a single flower on the side, who had far too much of her bust showing to be anything but a hooker, and the golden colored ale was poured into the mug again. Suddenly, three boys, about Sesshomaru's age, walked up to him, their loins showing, and the heir looked up, his golden eyes reflecting their frames. One had long black hair, kept up in a ponytail, and blue eyes- while the other two (the wingmen) were most definitely twins. Their facial features were exactly the same, though one had decided to keep his hair short while the other kept it tied in braid with a small piece of leather.

"And who the hell are you?" Their leader inquired angrily, his tanned arms, muscular and very strong-looking, leaned against the table. You could hear the wood creak underneath his weight. One could suppose that most of it was muscle weight... not fat. Sesshomaru looked him over. He was most definitely a tracker or hunter of some sort. The bull horn he had tied to his side and his many scars on those arms were proof that he'd been in too many tussles despite his young age.

"No one of your concern."

"You're flirtin' with my girl. Therefore. It IS my concern." Sesshomaru made eye contact with the stranger and downed the mug, putting it back on the table with a blank expression. The tanned boy snatched up the prince's tunic and yanked him up. The waitress, her attention to a different customer having been broken, turned around and her muscles literally tensed visibly.

"KOUGAAAA. GRANDFATHER SAID THAT HE'S HAD ENOUGH WITH YOU." She snarled, slamming the metal plate with the two men's beers she'd gotten before on their table, and she stalked over, pushing the twins out of her way and slapping the black haired boys face. He looked back, his priorities changing, and gave the girl a mean look. Sesshomaru took his weakness and used it against him. Twisting so that this Kouga person's arms were tangled, he easily slipped out of his grip and grabbed the girl, his fluid motions making it look as if he'd just danced away from a deadly encounter and merely taken the prize.

"You bastard… put Ayame down. NOW." Sesshomaru flipped out the knife he'd skinned the rabbit for the little girl with and held it up to the girl's neck. By this time, everyone in the vicinity was beginning to either narrow their eyes, or stop talking, some even snuck out the back door. These were mostly the girls… the waitresses had gathered together and were chattering quietly to one another, their eyes wide.

"And if I don't?" a twinkle in the prince's eye was enough for Kouga to pull out his own knife.

"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU SON OF A-" Sesshomaru's amber gaze shifted to where the girl was held in his grasp, struggling against his hold. Wow she had a mouth.

"Ginta. Hakaku. Go get grandfather. And you, you albino freak, put. Her. DOWN. NOW." The twins ran off, stumbling over some chairs that were in the way, and making quite the fuss as they did so. Sesshomaru was already backing out the door by now, and he looked over to where a few horses had been tied up at a post. He looked back at Kouga, and made a face when Ayame bit his arm. Sesshomaru waited a few more seconds, and then when the old man came out, the prince twirled Ayame out to Kouga, and skipped, cut the reins with his knife, mounted and took off towards the castle with a horse.

"YOU BASTARD. YOU EVER COME BACK HERE AND I'LL SLIT YOUR THROAT!" shouted Kouga, though he was totally out-won by Ayame, who was screaming profound language into the sky. She clung to Kouga, and he, in turn, held tightly to her. Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder and threw a pouch of gold back into the dust, waved his hand, and dug his heels into the mare's sides.

* * *

Asthe day came to a close, A-Un managed to safely lead the girl out of the forest, his sides covered with white sweat, and his nostrils flaring each time a hoof touched the ground. Rin clung to him desperately, having put the bottle in one of the saddlebags before the witch had slapped the horse's rump and sent them both flying. She dare not look back, as she had to keep ducking to keep away from the tree branches that were hanging low enough to catch on her head. She need not worry, however, for she no longer had the full head of hair her mother had so loved to brush all the while. The sun was able to be seen for the first time in two... perhaps even three, now, days. Rin pulled on the reins just as they exited the tangle of bushes, and she swept her gaze across the horizon. Never had she ever felt so glad to be able to see the horizon... Clicking her tongue, and asking for a trot from A-Un, Rin travelled towards the village, which the trees had just so happened to lead her towards... that was coincidentally within the reaches of her kingdom. With the royal tack, she passed through the place with a brave expression, her revealing white night gown making her look as if she were an angel... A-Un pranced through, taking his young rider up the cobble stone pathway to the kingdom of the North. When she came to the gate, she looked up and waved to the guard. He stumbled over himself and raised it immediately. A shout was given, and soon, a few of the kitchen maids tugged up their dresses and jogged out into the passageway, helping their young princess down from the steed.

"Princess! You're not hurt darling, are you? Look at your hair! What happened?" One asked, her hair tied up in a kerchief.

"N-no... but I'm quite cold..." Everyone was making such a fuss...

"Of course!... Lady Rin... whose horse is this?" a different lady asked, having taken a hold of the staggeringly massive horse's reins. He pranced dangerously, raising his hooves to show his dislike of being so close to those he did not know.

"Oh! Uhm... he's mine... his name is A-Un."

"I'll get one of the stable boys to take care of him..." A shawl was given to Rin, and she was led away by a fray of the maids. When she looked back, a young boy with a ponytail, held up by a bow, nodded at the maid that had promised a stable boy, and he looked over at her and waved, smiling.

"Whose that?" she asked to the lady once she caught up the mass.

"Oh him? His name is Shippo."

"Ah- OH! Kohaku! I need to see him!"

"You must get cleaned up... and you know it is forbidden to see your brother, Lady Rin."

"But!" Rin held out her hand, revealing the glass bottle of poultice that the witch had given to her. It was giving off a ghostly green glow. "I got this from the sorceress in the forest! She said it would help him!" The maids all stared at the bottle, and then they continued on, becoming persistant in giving her a proper bath before she was allowed to do anything else.

What they all did not notice was that high up in one of the castle's windows, a stained glass one that belonged to the discussion room, a man with wavy black hair and russet eyes was watching with a smirk on his pale face. He turned away and just like that... he was gone.

* * *

Naraku turned back to the discussion, of which miss Sango, a spy for the Great Dog Demon hired to gather secrets from the Heavenly Queen of the North in order to get the upperhand should a war arouse in less than a few months, was conversing with the High Priest, Miroku. It was highly unlikely that war would break out by winter, however, when trials and turbulations became... prominant... one could never predict just what might happen.

"The Heavenly Queen will not meet with us?!" Sango was angry. She had travelled all this way with the young prince, InuYasha, after he'd come back from a hunting trip where he had lost his brother. Jaken, the man who took care of both of them (though mainly Sesshomaru), had kept careful amounts of patrols night and day should Sesshomaru manage to find his way back. When they left, it looked quite hopeless that Sesshomaru would be returning. InuYasha, though he did not say a word about it, seemed to be somewhat upset... and now Sango had to deal with her job... how was she supposed to carry out her task if she wasn't even allowed to see the Queen herself? "Why not?" The monk, adorned in luxourious purple robes looked her up and down. It was not rocket science to tell that he was checking her out...

"Miss Sango, I assure you that it is not that she does not WANT to see you... she cannot. Her son, our prince Kohaku, is bedridden with a sickness we cannot fathom the cause or cure for."

"Well she has to come out of there sometime!" InuYasha was now in on it. Both of them were hotheads, and now, with them paired up against Miroku, the monk barely stood a chance; not against a seven year old prince and a 16 year old girl. He smiled nervously and waved both his hands.

"Now now, I'm sure the Queen will-" A commotion down the hallway was what interrupted him. The large double doors were thrust open and Rin, eleven years old, and sopping wet, flew into the discussion room, dripping water all over the place. InuYasha, Sango, and Miroku both averted their attention to what looked like a drowned rat with short hair, and stared. She had a large tunic on, as it belonged to her brother, but that was it. It, mind you, was big enough to the point that it covered her all the way down to just below her thighs (think of short shorts everyone). InuYasha, still wearing his red cloak around his neck made a 'Pft.' sound and Sango merely watched as the girl ran over to Miroku, her feet making pit patter noises against the tile. Naraku was the only one who had a smile across his face.. though it was a deadly one... nothing that hinted at kindness in it.

"Miroku, Miroku, Miroku!" Rin gasped as wrapped her arms around Mirokus wrist, and looked up at him with big chocolate eyes.

"Lady Rin- when did you get back... why is your hair short?! Where were you?!" she was gasping, and the maids stopped outside the discussion room doors, looking nervously at one another, a blush rising amongst them.

"I need to see brother! Look! The witch gave me medicine!" Miroku's mouth opened but no words came out as the little girl produced forth a glass bottle, glowing green. He was still opening and closing his mouth like a fish when InuYasha walked over, unclipped his velvety cloak and threw it atop the girl. His tan tunic and black pants were now showing, but he looked away from the tiny girl, a few years older than he though he was definitely taller than her. Lineage mattered when it came to InuYasha's height. His father, was 6'4" and his mother was 6'1". He'd just went through a growth spurt, and... (well you get the point. He's taller. Deal with it.)

"Put some clothes on, princess." She looked up at him and he made a face, of which she responded by sticking her tongue out at him.

"Can we go? Please?!"

"Of...of course... so long as the lovely Sango, Naraku, and the prince don't mind waiting for your mother to-"

"Not at all." Naraku was the one that interjected this time. "By all means- go save your brother." Miroku nodded and guided Rin out of the double doors and into the hallway. Rin looked back at InuYasha and he pulled down the skin beneath his eye and stuck out his tongue at her. Rin blushed and began to run down the hallway, Miroku having to quickly walk as she neared the staircase that would lead up to Kohaku's room.

* * *

Naraku turned to Sango and gave her a look. She opened her mouth, and nodded, walking out into the hallway that Miroku and the young princess had just gone down. Removing her cloak, she tossed it back into the discussion room and jogged down the hallway, taking after the duo that had just disappeared. She snuck up the staircase and peered around the door of which led into the room that she supposed the boy was inside. As her eyes peeked in, her breath caught in her throat. Rin was pressing the tip of the glass bottle to Kohaku's lips... and Kohaku, whose flesh used to be a dull gray color, seemed to... _light up_. The Queen and Miroku watched in utter surprise as he downed the liquid, the green having spilled onto the side of his pillow before he had swallowed painfully. He sat up slowly, with help from his adopted mother, and Rin had tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Kohaku! You're okay!" she tackle-hugged him and grabbed a fistful of his shirt, burrowing her face into the folds of it. Her adopted brother looked at his hands, then at the pillow, where the glowing green liquid had stained the case... and turned it a deep red color. He looked at his hands and around the room.

"W...What happened?" Sango covered her mouth and whipped her head back around the corner, sliding down against the wall... the prince... Kohaku... no. He couldn't be... but she was sure of it... Miroku had heard something outside the room, and, expecting it to be a maid, he walked over, looking out. What he found was the beautiful miss Sango.

"Miss Sango?" he shut the wooden door, barring the view of the siblings and the mother from her view. She had no want to see the scene. It sickened her... made her dizzy. "Sango?! Are you alright?"

"That boy... he's not the Queen's son."

"No.. actually... he was rescued from a battlefield... a village had been under seige, and we came in time to find but a few survivors... Kohaku was one of the few. But how would you-" he looked at the girl and raised an eyebrow. Sango looked over at him, her chin tilted upwards, and tears in her eyes.

"That boy... is my brother."

* * *

Naraku sneered from his place in the stained glass windowsill. Young InuYasha was running his hand along the wall... this being his third walk around the entire length of the room. He caught the movement in his peripheral vision and looked over at the man who was his father's consultant.

"Why are you so damn happy?" spat the young prince. He had never liked Naraku... there was something about him that just set him on edge...

"In time, young Lord... in time." He laughed, a cackle that made InuYasha's hair on the back of his neck rise a bit. Freeeakyy...

* * *

**NOTE AFTER YOU READ:** _I think I'll be able to get past the rising action before the end of October... Hooray! :D_


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